Bob has a degree in economics from Melbourne University, in history from University of London (first class honours) and a PhD in Sociology from Princeton University. Most of his academic work has been at Monash University and since 1991 this work has focussed on running the CPUR. He has acted as an advisor on immigration issues to both Labor and Coalition governments and was a member of the Commonwealth Government’s National Population Council from 1987–1993. Recently he was a member of the independent Review of the General Skilled Migration Program which reported in May 2006.

2 Responses to “Growth Lobby got it wrong. Report to MATTHEW GUY”

Cities should evolve according to human needs, and be human friendly. Planning has devolved into a system of giving ticks to developers for high density and high rise living, and boosting population. Economists and politicians have become obssessed by growth, to our detriment. Bigger is not necessarily better. The asylum seeker issue has become a smoke-screen for the immigration debate, so that the public think the two are equal. In fact, about 90% of our net immigration is economic – not asylum seekers. Our population growth is not inevitable.

“That the population increase has slowed dramatically, mainly because the bottom has dropped out of the foreign student market”. Students studying here should not be adding to our permanent population size. Our rate of growth may have slowed since the time of Brumby’s full speed ahead, but we are still facing reckless growth. Our native grasslands are under threat from urban sprawl, and high rises aren’t ending the growth. We are expanding up and out due to the unsustainable number of people arriving into Victoria each week – up to 1500. It’s pointless having the carbon tax while our economy feeds on consumer growth.
Our population growth rate is a political policy and needs to be changed according to changing social and environmental pressures. It’s not inevitable.